One Piece: Fist of the World

"That guy is Trafalgar Law!"

On the second-floor balcony of the main building, a figure intently observed Rhodes and his group, who had broken in. His eyes scanned the others before finally settling on Law.

"That spotted hat is the same as before!"

As if sensing the gaze upon him, Law suddenly raised his head and looked towards the second floor.

The dark blue windbreaker, the unchanging mask, and that familiar aura.

"You're quite patient, Gladius!"

Looking at the old acquaintance before him, Law offered a slightly strained smile.

The other man was indeed someone who had instructed him in the past, but he was also one of the accomplices in Corazon's murder.

The anger at seeing members of the Donquixote Family again, the burgeoning excitement of avenging Corazon, mingled with other emotions, leaving Law unsure what expression to wear for a moment.

"You are a traitor to our family. Instead of hiding in some dark hole to survive, you dared to appear before me and even destroyed the family flag."

Several veins throbbed on Gladius's forehead, his tone thick with suppressed fury.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you. I'll simply break every bone in your body and then take you back to the young master for disposal!"

He leaped from the second floor, his eyes blazing with palpable rage.

Despite the fury coursing through him, the battle-hardened Gladius did not lose his composure.

As he jumped, Gladius twisted the dial on his arm, and several specialized projectiles were launched instantly, appearing before Law's eyes almost in the blink of an eye.

"Explosive projectiles!"

The black projectile suddenly expanded, reaching its maximum size almost instantly, and then an explosion engulfed the three of Rhodes.

Bang bang bang!

Following a series of gunshots, several bullets pierced the smoke and struck Gladius's chest.

Too weak!

The thought flashed through Gladius's mind.

Bullets lacking Busoshoku Haki posed no threat to him whatsoever. This was indeed just an ignorant brat.

With a slight turn of his body, Gladius evaded several bullets and then twisted the dial on his arm again.

"ROOM——"

With a soft utterance, a blue sphere of light instantly enveloped the entire courtyard, and Rhodes's body instantly swapped places with the bullet Gladius had dodged, appearing behind Gladius and swinging his clenched fist fiercely.

Boom!!

The violent explosion instantly engulfed both figures.

Swish——

The next moment, Rhodes's figure reappeared beside Law.

"This guy's reaction is quick!"

Looking at the area shrouded in smoke, Rhodes's expression was slightly serious.

He was just an ordinary cadre of the Donquixote Family, yet he possessed such excellent combat instincts. It seemed there was a significant disparity in combat experience.

"I take back my earlier assessment. You guys do possess some strength."

Gladius's voice echoed from within the smoke.

"However, that won't change the fact that I will kill you!"

As the smoke dissipated, Gladius's figure reappeared before Rhodes and the others. However, at this point, his helmet had expanded to its limit, and several cracks spiderwebbed across its surface.

"Exploding Helmet!"

The terrifying explosion resounded once more, and along with the blast, countless sharp fragments shot out at high velocity.

The flying helmet fragments carried terrifying kinetic energy, instantly piercing even the walls. The few subordinates who had been standing around, ready to rush forward at any moment, were immediately struck down by the flying shards.

Rhodes drew a sword and swung it rapidly. The impenetrable curtain of his blade blocked all the flying fragments.

"This power is simply a souped-up version of a high-explosive grenade."

Rhodes's heart pounded as he surveyed the ravaged scene around him. After the opponent's attack, almost nothing in the entire courtyard remained intact.

"Hey, Rhode, just a couple of moves will be enough. Didn't we agree that I would handle this guy?"

Law said in a low voice, a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone.

He was the one who would initiate their first battle against the Donquixote Family.

"I apologize, it's been a while since I faced such a formidable opponent."

Rhodes sheathed the sword in his hand and stepped aside, allowing Law to confront Gladius directly.

"You little brats, you don't take me, Lord Gladius, seriously!"

After his helmet exploded, Gladius's elaborate hairstyle was revealed, each spiky strand proclaiming his presence.

"None of you will escape!"

Gladius's voice was filled with uncontrollable fury.

"Landmine Bomb!"

Following Gladius's deep voice, the ground beneath Rhodes and the others' feet suddenly swelled upwards, expanding to its maximum size in the blink of an eye.

"ROOM——"

A blue sphere of light appeared instantly, and Rhodes and his companions reappeared in the distance. Those who bore the brunt of the explosion were a few unfortunate cannon fodder subordinates from the Donquixote Family.

"Scuttling around like rats."

Watching his subordinates being blown to pieces without any discernible emotion, Gladius turned his gaze to where Rhodes and the others had reappeared.

"But it's all in vain, because this is my home ground!"

The ground expanded as if being inflated, and just as Rhodes and his companions materialized, a horrific explosion erupted, completely engulfing the three of them.

"From the moment you stepped into this courtyard, your fate was sealed."

Pushing up his goggles, Gladius said calmly.

Every spot in this courtyard had been marked by him using his abilities.

In other words, any location in the courtyard could become an explosive, rendering the enemy's attempts to escape futile.

"He struck first. Don't accuse me of stealing your opponent, Law!"

Rhodes's powerful voice boomed from within the smoke. With a sudden gust of wind, the smoke dissipated, revealing Rhodes and the other three. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Apart from their clothes being slightly disheveled, there were no visible injuries on any of them.

They had undergone rigorous training since childhood and wouldn't be affected by a bomb of this magnitude.

Rhodes grabbed a long sword from somewhere nearby, swung it casually, quickly familiarizing himself with the weapon's feel. A hint of fighting spirit flickered in his eyes.

As expected of an enemy from the New World, I should be able to have some fun with a guy like this.

"Allow me to initiate our first battle against the Donquixote Family."

Law took two steps forward and stared directly at Gladius.

After the brief exchange just now, he already had a basic understanding.

The opponent's strength was considerable, far exceeding what one would typically expect in the North Blue.

But I can fight!

Judging from the opponent's abilities, he primarily relied on explosions and the projectiles produced by them to inflict damage.

Therefore, as long as he controlled the distance between himself and his opponent and exploited the gaps in the opponent's attack rhythm, he could decide the outcome of the battle in a single decisive move.

"ROOM——"

The light blue aura enveloped the battlefield once more.

(End of this Chapter)